Bone Scan

It's never a good sign when the technician running your test says a long drawn out "hhhhuuuummmmmmm." I tell myself that this new clinic has the latest state of the art dexa scan machine - better than any I have encountered to date. The technician told me it was super duper.

But after the first scan ended, she fiddled with lots of stuff and said, "I'm gonna run this again. Seems the machine and I have a disagreement, and I just want to make sure I got what I need. Here we go." (These are completely painless procedures where you lie still and the arm waffles over you quietly - not even a hum or a buzz).

It only takes a minute for her to reposition my legs and set the arm in motion. But she is still unhappy with the results. One more time just to verify . . .

I refuse to read anything into it other than that the machine was having an off day. After all, its just to see if I have any osteoporosis. Are my bones as hefty as they should be? They are not checking for cancer in my bones as they have done in the past with more intense bone scans. This is purely routine.

Just check the test off your list and head over for the mammogram. No sweat. Today will be so routine it will make you smile. My heart is lifted when I am shown to the waiting room for the mammogram. What an elegant room! So reminiscent of a genteel era nearly gone by. Muted cream stucco walls surround a corner fireplace with (fake) crackling fire. The wallpaper is classic. Mahogany woodwork is burnished to a shining patina. Chairs are overstuffed and comfortable.

There is a complimentary coffee and tea bar - not the sterile half hearted utility kind but the thoughtful perfect hostess kind with real china and baskets of goodies. The view from the full length window is of a grassy area surrounded by pine trees. Sun streams in and caresses the heads of all who await the tissue crunching procedure. Gowns are soft and comfortable. People speak quietly and gently. This is nice!

Here is a place that understands that sometimes the soul just needs a touch of beauty in a world of ugly pain. I settle back to wait my turn, perusing an architecture magazine filled with color pictures of beautiful spaces. Before I realize it, I am beckoned, and must leave this idyllic womb of gentility. Afterwards, I return to my car and the reality of the outside world, but with the touch of kindness imprinted on my heart and mind. I carry it with me throughout the entire day.

Its very nice.